TEHRAN – On the afternoon of March 22, 1963, when the agents of the Pahlavi regime stormed the mourning crowd of students at the Fayziyyah Seminary in Qom—who were commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (AS)—and unleashed their full brutality, the atmosphere of terror was so suffocating that even the city’s hospitals dared not admit the wounded from the savage attack.

A small group of seminarians, seeking refuge, went to Imam Khomeini’s home. And they had every right to be afraid. What they had witnessed was, at the very least, unprecedented in Iran’s modern history.

Imam Khomeini, standing before that frightened and anxious group, said something astonishing:

“Do not be distressed or worried. Cast away fear and terror. You follow leaders who endured calamities and tragedies far greater than what we see today. Our noble Imams faced events like Ashura and the night of the 11th of Muharram—they bore such hardships in the path of God’s religion. So what are you saying today? What are you afraid of? Why this anxiety? ... By committing this crime, the ruling regime has exposed and disgraced itself, revealing its barbaric nature. In carrying out this atrocity, the tyrannical regime has sealed its own defeat and destruction. We have won. We had prayed to God that this regime would expose its true nature—and now it has.” (Sahifeh-ye Imam, Vol. 1, p. 166)

In that atmosphere of horror, mere hours after a full-scale, savage crackdown, these words seemed so detached from the grim reality that they might have been spoken only to soothe the trembling hearts of that gathering. As the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution recounted more than 60 years later:

“On that historic night after the attack on Fayziyyah in 1963, when Imam Khomeini addressed a small, terrified group of seminarians in his home after the Isha prayer, some of us might have considered his bold declaration—‘They will go, and you will remain’—as mere idealism or wishful thinking. But time proved that faith, patience, and trust in God uproot mountains of obstacles, and the schemes of enemies are powerless against divine decree.” (From the message “The Pioneering and Leading Seminary”, May 6, 2024)

From that bold prophecy on that dark and terrifying night to the dawn of victory, 15 long years passed—years filled with highs and lows, moments when the Pahlavi regime saw itself at the peak of power, and when neither it nor its supporters could have dreamed that the prediction of that man of God (then in exile, cut off even from his people) would come true.

Today, in many ways, the times are not so different. The arrogant powers of the world have joined hands to block the path of the great Khomeini and erase the Islamic Revolution—his legacy, which stands as a barrier against their devilish greed. In America, a man no less tyrannical than Pharaoh sits in power, boasting that he holds life and death in his hands, edging ever closer to claiming divinity. His rabid dog in the region continues its slaughter, and on the surface, no one seems able to stop this killing machine.

Yet, in this era of collusion between wealth, force, and deceit, the Leader of the Revolution promises victory and sees a bright, inevitable triumph ahead—as he emphasized just days ago in a meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister:

“We are optimistic about the future of the Islamic world.” (May 25, 2024)

This courage, steadfastness, faith, and depth of thought are the fruits of following the Imam’s path. An Imam who made no claims for himself—whose every thought, word, and action was drawn from pure Islam, not an Islam confined to ritual purity laws but rooted in dynamic jurisprudence, offering solutions for the complexities of modern life.

Thirty-six years have passed since that man of God’s departure, yet the enmity toward him has only grown. If Imam is dead, why such relentless hatred? Is this not the clearest proof that his path and legacy are alive? Had the Revolution strayed from its course, why would they need such relentless slander and hostility?

As the Leader has repeatedly stressed, the people held a genuine and unique place in Imam Khomeini’s thought and actions—a position born out of sincere belief, unlike worldly politicians who see the masses as mere tools for power and profit. It was with this conviction that Imam declared in his first speech upon returning from exile:

“With the support of this nation, I will appoint a government...”

Today, many of the Leader’s predictions, decisions, and actions are based on this same understanding of the people and their support. A people who, despite the most complex and brutal operations, pressures, and attacks - such as economic and cultural warfare - remain steadfast in their loyalty to Imam and the Revolution.

And so, despite 36 years since the heart-wrenching departure of that towering historical figure, his path endures. The covenant that Ayatollah Khamenei firmly declared in 1989 remains as strong as ever:

“The path Imam charted for the Revolution—the path we and the Iranian nation have walked for ten years—is the path of Islam’s greatness and the dignity of Muslims. It is the path of defending the oppressed across the world. It is the line that has transformed Iran from a backward, dependent, lifeless nation into one of the most independent, vibrant, and dynamic nations on earth. It is the path that has ignited the people’s faith, love, and passion for Islam, driving them to unparalleled sacrifices. This path is our life, our entire existence, our national and revolutionary identity. By God’s grace, we will advance on this path with determination, strength, and hope—with the same spirit Imam taught us throughout the struggle and the Revolution. We are ready to sacrifice day and night to solidify Imam’s path, the path of the Revolution. Our lives and blood are sacrifices for this path. Our happiness lies in living and dying for it—of this, there is no doubt.”